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Owen Smith

Burberry Ltd

Service & Productivity Manager - Emerging Markets

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Baby Changing

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I'm sitting here having my lunch taking time out of writing Customer Service training and my mind is wandering to a big change about to happen in my life. In just a couple of weeks I'm going to become a Dad for the first time - terrifying and exciting in equal measure. It got me thinking about Change (with a capital 'C') and how very often although the benefits are blindingly obvious, this doesn't stop us being fundamentally afraid of Change. I'm sure this is directly proportional to the scale of the change. From the moment we knew we were expecting, resistance started to rear its (natural) head. Her first thoughts were about the impact on her social life - how much would it change with the virtual removal of alcohol? (I generously offered to take care of her share, obviously...) I refused to give up my Harlequins season ticket, my guitars and my little old MGB sat in my parent's garage, still going nowhere after 4 years. However, as we get closer to the big day and are now surrounded by the paraphenalia associated with our new arrival (the spare room has duly been converted into a nursery), the impact and reality of Change is really hitting home. Next week the flashy and fun BMW Coupe goes and we get an Estate. I'm making preparations to be able to 'drop' things at work and hand them over at a moment's notice, just in case. I'm turning down invitations to lads' nights out. Not a string has been plucked on my guitars for weeks (maybe she is right, I am too old to be still playing at being Jimi Hendrix). So what can I do about it? Just accept it and be miserable that all my fun pastimes and distractions are gone? That was when an old Chinese proverb I once heard came to mind..."When the winds of change blow, do you build a shelter or a windmill?". No, I'm going to get all Darwinian and learn to adapt. My wife and I will share the ticket next season - then maybe the following year she'll get one of her own and all three of us can go. And the frustrated Rock God in me? Well, he'll have to learn how to strum along to "Old Macdonald" instead of Metallica. I suppose the points I'm trying to make are that we should be 'up periscopes' when thinking about change that is on the horizon and not leave it till too late, and you can always be creative with your prefered ways of working and processes to make them fit the new. I'll just have to bank on the good will of my folks with regard to keeping the MGB in their garage. You just can't make a 2-seat sports car fit 3.

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Owen Smith

Service & Productivity Manager - Emerging Markets

Read more from Owen Smith
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